Keytruda meets OS, PFS endpoints in first-line NSCLC
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) added $3.41 to $62.07 on Tuesday after it said Keytruda pembrolizumab met the co-primary endpoints in the Phase III KEYNOTE-189 trial as first-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The move translates to a $9.3 billion increase in market cap. With the readout, investors are now more confident in Keytruda’s sales trajectory and competitive positioning vs. other players in the first-line NSCLC space.
An interim analysis of the 614-patient trial by an IDMC showed that Keytruda plus Alimta pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) vs. Alimta and cisplatin or carboplatin alone. Merck plans to present the results at an upcoming medical meeting...